Ten Hag laments wasteful finishing after Man United’s defeat at West Ham

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expressed frustration with his team’s poor finishing after a 2-1 loss to West Ham on Sunday pushed United down to 14th in the Premier League table.

A late penalty from Jarrod Bowen secured all three points for the Hammers in a contentious finish, dealing another blow to Ten Hag’s side.

Crysencio Summerville opened the scoring for West Ham with 16 minutes remaining, but Casemiro’s equaliser kept United in the game until stoppage time when VAR awarded West Ham a penalty after Matthijs de Ligt clashed with Danny Ings. Bowen calmly converted from the spot to seal the result.

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Ten Hag criticized the decision, arguing that VAR intervention was inconsistent. “Before the season, they explained that VAR should only interfere when clear and obvious,” he said. “Against Spurs, a wrong decision was allowed to stand; now, it’s the opposite. Both decisions have had a big impact on our games.”

Despite Ten Hag’s frustration with officiating, he admitted that United’s finishing was the primary issue. “We created so many chances and played excellent football, especially in the first half, but we missed six or seven clear opportunities,” Ten Hag said. Diogo Dalot missed an open goal, while Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes squandered key chances in a dominant first half. “That’s an area we must improve. Beyond that, I have few criticisms of my team’s play,” he added.

With only eight goals in nine games, United’s current scoring rate is their lowest in Premier League history. Ten Hag’s men have managed just three league wins this season and remain winless in the Europa League. Despite his precarious position, Ten Hag saw positives in recent performances, including a 2-1 win over Brentford and a 1-1 draw at Fenerbahce.

“We haven’t had luck on our side, but last season we turned things around, and we’re determined to do it again,” said Ten Hag. “Brentford, Fenerbahce, today—we’re playing really good football. We just have to stay focused and keep pushing.”